DSM Akulon based Pack-Age™ wins prestigious packaging award

DSM’s revolutionary cheese-ripening solution, Pack-Age™ has been awarded Bronze in one of the world’s most competitive packaging innovation contests, ‘De Gouden Noot’. Pack-Age is made from Akulon polyamide 6 which delivers properties critical to the effective ripening and preservation of cheeses.

DSM Akulon based Pack-Age™ wins prestigious packaging award

A judging panel of 20 industry experts from across the value chain chose Pack-Age from a shortlist of 10 finalists and 40 entries as the most innovative Business-to-Business (B2B) packaging concept. Pack-Age is an innovative ready-to-use packaging solution that allows hard to semi-hard cheeses to be ripened naturally to the perfect flavor.

Pack-Age is made from Akulon polyamide 6 which produces a film with high mechanical strength and provides an excellent barrier against oxygen, moisture and CO2. Thanks to these properties, Pack-Age delivers just enough moisture to the cheese, resulting in a naturally ripened cheese with a mature taste and firm texture. Pack-Age also protects against mold growth on the surface, resulting in a higher productivity and lower food waste.

Onno Omta, president of the judging panel commented: “Pack-Age is an important illustration of the added value packaging offers, particularly in a conventional sector such as the cheese industry. This innovative film improves the ripening of cheese, increases the shelf life, and reduces the product losses associated with the application and then removal of the crust. Compared with coated cheeses, the breathable film results in higher value and quality of the cheese and delivers a higher yield with the use of less material. Pack-Age also offers improved sustainability benefits – less cheese is lost and less production time is needed due to the crust removal process being eliminated, and the value of the cheese is increased by the improved maturation.”

Harrold Goertz, Global Technical Product Manager Akulon polyamide 6 said: “Pack-Age demonstrates our expertise when it comes to developing smart solutions for packaging. In the food industry, these solutions are crucial as tighter legislation and regulations come into effect. The quality and performance of our polymers for barrier and permeable films can help the industry extend shelf life, maximize profits and reduce food waste.” Corstiaan Hooft, Global New Business Development Manager and project manager Pack-Age added: “We are honored to win this prize, which showcases our innovation potential when we combine our life and material sciences expertise. Together with our DSM colleagues from the Engineering Plastics and the Innovation Center, we have developed the polymers and the concept needed for the patented packaging. We have also drawn on the additional knowledge and sound experience of Südpack in co-extrusion, who have helped successfully manufacture Pack-Age”.

Marc Arts, Business Director Food & Crop Protection, concludes: “We have already had success with dairy customers across a range of ripening applications in hard and semi-hard cheeses, such as Gouda, Edam, Emmental, Provolone, Manchego, Sbrinz and Parmesan cheese types. This prize inspires us to develop new areas of application of the Pack-Age concept”. ‘De Gouden Noot’ is a contest organized by the Netherlands Packaging Centre (NVC) to encourage innovations in packaging and packaged products. Since it was first held in 1958, more than 2,000 packaging innovations have competed for ‘De Gouden Noot’. There were 40 entries in this year’s competition. The winners were selected by a jury of 20 experienced professionals from across the entire supply and recycle chain of packaged goods.

DSM – Bright Science. Brighter Living.™

Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials. DSM’s 22,000 employees deliver annual net sales of around €9 billion. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext. More information can be found at www.dsm.com.